Genell Miller: Memories by Bruno David Gallery

GENELL MILLER Memories

bruno david gallery

GENELL MILLER: Memories January 23 - February 28, 2009 Bruno David Gallery 3721 Washington Boulevard Saint Louis, 63108 Missouri, U.S.A. info@brunodavidgallery.com www.brunodavidgallery.com Director: Bruno L. David This catalogue was published in conjunction with the exhibition Genell Miller: Memories at Bruno David Gallery Editor: Bruno L. David Catalog Designer: Yoko Kiyoi Design Assistants: Claudia R. David Printed in USA All works courtesy of Bruno David Gallery and Genell Miller Cover Image: Genell Miller. Roses Square #1 (detail), 2007-08 66 x 66 inches (167.64 x 167.64 cm) Oil on linen Copyright ÂŠ 2009 Bruno David Gallery, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of Bruno David Gallery, Inc.

Contents

Essay by Sarah Hadef Afterword by Bruno L. David Checklist of the Exhibition Biography

Essay by Sarah Hadef 2

I had the chance to visit Rome as a teenager almost ten years ago. Until now it remains one of my best and most memorable experiences as a traveler. What struck me more than anything else was the beautiful and exceptional light that illuminated the Eternal City and its monuments. The famous French writer Henry Beyle alias Stendhal, said about Rome: The light that reveals Rome’s monuments is not that to which we are accustomed; it produces numerous optical effects plus a certain atmosphere, all impossible to put into words. The light strikes Rome in ways that I’ve never seen. If Rome’s light and beauty cannot be translated into words according to Stendhal’s opinion, Genell Miller’s most recent paintings prove that it can be perfectly rendered into paintings. Her last exhibit in Saint Louis entitled Memories at Bruno David Gallery consisted of large-scale paintings, all of them having the same subject matter, roses and similar tones and colors. What most of the paintings reveal without any doubt is her deep connection with the Italian city. The Memphis-born artist has spent eleven years of her life in Rome where she taught at Cornell University and Temple University. A few years ago, she finally moved back to the city of her childhood, Saint Louis, where she resides and paints at her studio located in the picturesque historic Soulard neighborhood. When she returned to Saint Louis, she brought along the warm memories and colors of her European life translated into works of art. The red, ocher, gold and flesh tones she chose are reminiscent of the heat and stunning light of Rome. Indeed, the light strikes her paintings in a way that is as unique and beautiful as the Roman sun reflecting upon the ancient monuments. Trained mostly as a figurative artist (she graduated in painting from Washington University in 1977), she explained to me that she rapidly lost her interest in painting or drawing figures. After graduating, she started her career painting geometrical forms with an illusionistic touch. Using a similar palette she has experimented throughout her entire career, she was highly concerned with forms and color relationships. Rather than spontaneous, the paintings during this phase of her career were mathematically preconcepted and arranged. She later returned to figures when she created paintings inspired from movies and TV drama depicting sentimental stories in the 1980s. Her career was often an alternation between figurative imagery and more abstract and decorative works. She was always greatly interested in the decorative aspects of the arts, whether it is quilting, wallpapers or embroidery. She believes that decorative arts should be recognized as a noble art and refuses any

hierarchies among the visual arts. Her fascination for old frames led her to paint beautiful pictures combining textures and patterns imprinted like a stamp on the paint. She would first choose a frame from a roman antique store and then paint the canvas to match the unique frame. Overwhelmed by the art history classes she attended while in Philadelphia, she continuously integrated the old masters she admired into her own oeuvre. The Memories exhibit perfectly illustrates this aspect of Miller’s work. Her newest body of works may seem like an interesting distillation of her past experiences as a traveler and an incessant learner. The large scale paintings of Memories deal with formal concerns of pattern, repetition and scale. They consist of a repetition of roses contained in geometrically arranged grids. One cannot avoid thinking about traditional women’s crafts, particularly the art of quilting. She always had a great fascination for embroidery that she practiced herself. As she admits, the reference to quilting let her solve compositions issues by allowing esthetical repetitions and geometrical arrangements. The roses are quite rough in the way she sketched them on the canvas and one may see the process of each flower’s creation. Comparable to the Renaissance artists sketches such as Leonardo Da Vinci, her gestures seem as passionate as her colors. Like many artists, she is to a great extent mostly interested in the processes involved when creating a work of art. Before painting the roses, she was committed to make one drawing a day. Skillfully done, yet very simple, they were black and white drawings of curves and lines that interlaced to form dazzling floral designs. She explained to me that “the gestures are the life, spirit and poetry of her drawings”. The choices of the roses as her main subject matter became then obvious to me. The spiraled flowers undoubtedly offered to Miller the ability to fully express herself. The hand of the artist then becomes the one of a magician whose every gesture creates a new world charged with energy and beauty. Carefully scrutinizing the roses contained in the grids, I thought of a paradox. Indeed, the practically nervous, obsessive and agitated gestures that form the roses are not freely exposed on the canvas. They are on the contrary carefully arranged in regular rows and columns as if the artist was attempting to restrain her own vitality. The repetition may appear compulsive but putting her motives into grids, the artist attempted to rationalize the incontrollable. The repetition of the same motif also suggests mass produced artworks that reminds the art of Andy Warhol’s factory. Miller acknowledged Pop Art to have had a great influence on her, which isn’t surprising for an artist who graduated in the 1970s and practiced her art in the 1980s. I had

a chance to view some of her previous artworks that depicted repetitive figures painted in a similar palette as Jim Dine which clearly recalled Pop artists’ works. Another prominent characteristic of her roses paintings is their stunning colors which cannot be reduced to a reference to her Roman memories. As a student, she was “bombarded’ with multiple historical references that she later synthesized into her work. Renaissance masterpieces that she would be daily exposed to in the Eternal City have been one of her greatest influences. However, she has nourished for years a passion for the medieval Illuminated Manuscripts. The gorgeous gold paint in the painting Gold Roses that captivate our eyes are memories of her acquaintance with the historical books treating the subjects as well as old Roman stores that still practice this art. As much as we are now global citizens, Miller is a global artist. Every physical place and time throughout her career gave birth to new techniques and shifts in her art and made her grow as an artist. In Memories, it seems like she managed to synthesize her multiple influences to produce beautiful nostalgic paintings and drawings. She told me that her fascination for floral motifs, particularly roses is not something new. Once, she was asked to draw a repetitive motif in an art class in high school. First thing that crossed her mind was to draw roses. Decades later, and nourished with a life of travels and artistic experimentations, ‘her’ roses now demonstrate their full maturity.

— Sarah Hadef

Sarah Hadef received her B.A. in Political Science from the Institute of Political Science in Aix-en-Provence, France and her M.A. in Arts Administration from Lindenwood University, in St. Charles, Missouri. She currently lives and works in St. Louis, Missouri. This essay is one in a series of the gallery’s exhibitions written by fellow gallery artists and friends.

Afterwords by Bruno L. David 6

I am pleased to exhibit a new series of paintings by Genell Miller at the Bruno David Gallery. Support for the creation of significant new works of art has been the core to the mission and program of the Bruno David Gallery since its founding. Genell Miller’s remarkable and compelling paintings make her one the most impressive artist of the gallery. Genell Miller presents a series of recent paintings and drawings titled “Memories” that explore formal concerns of pattern, repetition and scale, while hinting at her art historical influences. Miller created this series upon returning to St. Louis after staying eleven years in Rome, Italy, and her time among the old masters peeks through her craft. Her reiterations of flora are brought to life in flesh tones reminiscent of the wispy peach-pink of Raphael’s bodies. Her color palette is warm and nostalgic, a maternal embrace on canvas, and the use of repetitive line gesture is indicative of Miller’s exposure to the art history of Italy. The rough, charcoal history of each flower’s beginning often shows through, and the almost architectural investigation and rendering of the form allude to pages from Michelangelo’s sketchbooks. The suggestion of the traditional women’s crafts of quilting and sewing are evident in the grid-like repetition, which also conversely conveys a sense of mechanical mass production. Miller’s new work is a marriage of technique and sensibility, line and form, learned history and sense memory. Miller was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in St. Louis. She received her BFA in painting from Washington University in St. Louis in 1977, and her MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia. She taught design at St. Louis Community College and was a painting instructor at Beaver College, as well as a guest lecturer at institutions such as Webster University, Cornell University Rome, and Temple University Rome. Miller has been featured in over 49 individual and collective exhibitions in cities around the world, including New York, Kansas City, Chicago, Italy, Switzerland and Taipei, and her work is held in private collections across the United States and Europe. — Bruno L. David

Checklist of the Exhibition and Images

Roses Square #2, 2007-08

Oil on linen 66 x 66 inches (167.64 x 167.64 cm) 10

Roses Square #1, 2007-08

Oil on linen 66 x 66 inches (167.64 x 167.64 cm) 12

Roses Square #1 (detail), 2007-08 Oil on linen 66 x 66 inches (167.64 x 167.64 cm) 14

Flowers for Bonnie, 2008

Oil on panel 80 x 32 inches (203.20 x 81.28 cm) 16

64 Roses #1, 2009

Oil on linen 32.5 x 128 inches (82.55 x 325.12 cm) (diptych)

64 Roses #1 (detail), 2009

Oil on linen 32.5 x 128 inches (82.55 x 325.12 cm) (diptych) 20

64 Roses #2, 2009

Oil on linen 32.5 x 128 inches (82.55 x 325.12 cm) (diptych) 22

64 Roses #2 (detail), 2009

Oil on linen 32.5 x 128 inches (82.55 x 325.12 cm) (diptych) 24

Horizontal Roses, 2008

Oil on panel 18 x 80 inches (45.72 x 203.20 cm) 26

Horizontal Roses (detail), 2008

Oil on panel 18 x 80 inches (45.72 x 203.20 cm) 28

Rose Square #3, 2008

Oil on panel 48 x 48 inches (121.92 x 121.92 cm) 30

Rose Square #3 (detail), 2008

Oil on panel 48 x 48 inches (121.92 x 121.92 cm) 32

Genell Miller: Memories at Bruno David Gallery, 2009 (installation view - detail) 34

Genell Miller: Memories at Bruno David Gallery, 2009 (installation view - detail) 36

Genell Miller: Memories at Bruno David Gallery, 2009 (installation view - detail) 38

Genell Miller: Memories at Bruno David Gallery, 2009 (installation view - detail) 40

GENELL MILLER Born in Memphis, Tennessee Lives and works in St. Louis, Missouri EDUCATION B.F.A.

1977, Painting concentration, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 1988, Art History. Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2009 2007 2006 2004 1998 1996 1994 1993 1991 1990 1987 1984 1982

Bruno David Gallery, Genell Miller: Memories, St. Louis, Missouri (January) Galleria Incontro D’Arte, Roses and Landscapes, (with Lucy Clink), Rome, Italy. (January) Lydon Fine Art, Paesaggi e Giardini, (with Lucy Clink), Chicago, Illinois. (January) Lydon Fine Art, La Bocca Della Verita, (with Linda Salerno), Chicago, Illinois. (March) Lydon Fine Art, Florence Mission Drawings, Chicago, Illinois. (October) Lydon Fine Art, Objects of Luxury, Chicago, Illinois. (April) Lydon Fine Art, Votive, Chicago, Illinois. (December) Lydon Fine Art, Dopo La Dolce Vita, Chicago, Illinois. (September) Lydon Fine Art, Paintings, (with Fred Nelson), Chicago, Illinois. (September) Lydon Fine Art, Nothing Sacred Nothing, Chicago, Illinois. (September) Locus Gallery, Genell Miller: Paintings, St. Louis, Missouri. Timothy Burns Gallery, Diaries, St. Louis, Missouri Timothy Burns Gallery, Recent paintings, St. Louis, Missouri

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2009 2006 2004 2003 2000

Overview_09, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri Chere Louise, Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna, Curated by Martin Kunz Ascona, Switzerland. (December) Artist Collect, Temple Gallery, Temple University, Rome, Italy. (November) Blindfolded, American Academy in Rome Gallery, Curated by Dana Prescott, Rome, Italy. (Spring) Per Un Albero, Chiostro del Convento Padri Mercedari, Nemi, Italy. (May)

1997 1996 1995 1993 1991 1983 1977

30th Aniversary, Temple Gallery, Temple University, Rome, Italy. (March) Dal Reale Al Virtuale, Temple Gallery, Curated by Shara Wasserman and Ludovico Pratesi, Temple University, Rome, Italy. (October) Paintings, Z Gallery, New York, New York. (June) Icons as Images, Baret Reicher Gallery, Lake Forest, Illinois. (January) American Art, Chinese Cultural University, Taiwan. (Spring) Paintings, Lawrence Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. September, Carol Shapiro Gallery, St. Louis, MO. Women Artists 77, Curated by Miriam Shapiro, Kansas City, Missouri.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Hadef, Sarah. Candinas, Pia. Degener, Patricia. _____________ Harris, Jim. Degener, Patricia. Ferger, Kim. Degener, Patricia. Ferger, Kim. Pollack, Sidney. King, Mary. _____________ Lipkin, Joan. King, Mary. Duffy, Robert.

“Genell Miller”, Catalogue, Essay. Bruno David Gallery Publication, January 2009 “Woman’s Studies in Italy”, Temple University, (1991-1997) “Miller Rosenbloom: The Language of Feminism”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1987 “Faces, Portraits of St. Louisians”, St. Louis Magazine, (March 1986) “Architectural Subjects Through Varied Visions”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 1986 “Genell Miller”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 1985 “Genell Miller”, West End Word, January 1985 “1+1=2”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 1983 “Works”, West End Word, January 1983 “Genell Miller”, New Art Examiner, April 1983 “Four Artists”, St. Louis Globe Democrat, June 1981 “Interview”, The Today Show, NBC, New York, New York. 1982 “Group Show”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1981 “Two artists at Meramec”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 1981 “Use of Patterns in Distinctive Ways”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 1980

ARTISTS Margaret Adams Dickson Beall Laura Beard Elaine Blatt Martin Brief Lisa K. Blatt Shawn Burkard Bunny Burson Carmon Colangelo Alex Couwenberg Jill Downen Yvette Drury Dubinsky Corey Escoto

Beverly Fishman Damon Freed William Griffin Joan Hall Takashi Horisaki Kim Humphries Kelley Johnson Howard Jones (Estate) Chris Kahler Bill Kohn (Estate) Leslie Laskey Sandra Marchewa Peter Marcus

Patricia Olynyk Robert Pettus Daniel Raedeke Chris Rubin de la Borbolla Frank Schwaiger Charles Schwall Christina Shmigel Thomas Sleet Buzz Spector Lindsey Stouffer Cindy Tower Mario Trejo Ken Worley

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